What's the deal with SlimFast?

OK, SlimFast is a 220 calorie drink that you take twice a day. You get three
"snacks" and one sensible meal.

But what does the drink in itself do? Is there an appetite suppressant in
it, or is it just nutrition?

The reason I ask, is because I think I could have more fun if I could pick
my own 440 calories - at least sometimes. I can usually skip breakfast -
that gives me 440 for lunch...

Where am I going wrong?

Thanks

Bryan

"bam" wrote in message
...
OK, SlimFast is a 220 calorie drink that you take twice a day. You get
three "snacks" and one sensible meal.

But what does the drink in itself do? Is there an appetite suppressant in
it, or is it just nutrition?

The reason I ask, is because I think I could have more fun if I could pick
my own 440 calories - at least sometimes. I can usually skip breakfast -
that gives me 440 for lunch...

Where am I going wrong?

Different things work for different people, Bryan. I never understood the
appeal of slimfast either, for exactly your reasons: I'd much rather have
two light meals than two small milk drinks, but clearly for some people, it
works. If I had to guess, I'd say that those for whom slim fast works are
happiest committing to not even thinking about eating except for the one
allowed meal. But that's a guess.

Different strokes.

Donna

Donna wrote:
"bam" wrote in message
...
OK, SlimFast is a 220 calorie drink that you take twice a day. You
get
three "snacks" and one sensible meal.

But what does the drink in itself do? Is there an appetite
suppressant in
it, or is it just nutrition?

I don't believe the product has any appetite suppressants.

You may be thinking of their older weightloss plan which consisted of
the drinks and a sensible meal each day. If you checkout their website
they're now suggesting 6 smaller meals which include their productsg
I agree it's more satisfying to pick your own food. I imagine it's
convienent for people and takes the hassle out of meal planning.

They have one banana flavored snack bar that I've used as a low-cal
energy bar while out on the bike trails. It's only problem is it's
chocolate covered and meltsg

"Beverly" wrote in message
oups.com...

Donna wrote:
"bam" wrote in message
...
OK, SlimFast is a 220 calorie drink that you take twice a day. You
get
three "snacks" and one sensible meal.

But what does the drink in itself do? Is there an appetite
suppressant in
it, or is it just nutrition?

I don't believe the product has any appetite suppressants.

You may be thinking of their older weightloss plan which consisted of
the drinks and a sensible meal each day. If you checkout their website
they're now suggesting 6 smaller meals which include their productsg
I agree it's more satisfying to pick your own food. I imagine it's
convienent for people and takes the hassle out of meal planning.

They have one banana flavored snack bar that I've used as a low-cal
energy bar while out on the bike trails. It's only problem is it's
chocolate covered and meltsg

I bring some of their LC bars with me when I travel so that I'm not tempted
by any of the junk they sell on the planes or in some of the airports. I
did find fruit at a few places in some airports lately which is really nice.
--
the volleyballchick

"Donna" wrote in message
news:6llge.1345$R13.1279@trndny09...

"bam" wrote in message
...
OK, SlimFast is a 220 calorie drink that you take twice a day. You get
three "snacks" and one sensible meal.

But what does the drink in itself do? Is there an appetite suppressant in
it, or is it just nutrition?

The reason I ask, is because I think I could have more fun if I could
pick my own 440 calories - at least sometimes. I can usually skip
breakfast - that gives me 440 for lunch...

Where am I going wrong?

Different things work for different people, Bryan. I never understood
the appeal of slimfast either, for exactly your reasons: I'd much rather
have two light meals than two small milk drinks, but clearly for some
people, it works. If I had to guess, I'd say that those for whom slim
fast works are happiest committing to not even thinking about eating
except for the one allowed meal. But that's a guess.

Different strokes.

Yes, meal replacement diets are meant to be easy, decision-free diets.
They're great for some people. As you said, different strokes.
--
the volleyballchick

bam wrote:
OK, SlimFast is a 220 calorie drink that you take twice a day. You get three
"snacks" and one sensible meal.

But what does the drink in itself do? Is there an appetite suppressant in
it, or is it just nutrition?

The reason I ask, is because I think I could have more fun if I could pick
my own 440 calories - at least sometimes. I can usually skip breakfast -
that gives me 440 for lunch...

They offer an easy form of portion control. People can often easily eat
more than they should for breakfast. It also takes time to make food and
a meal replacement solves that problem.

I think one meal a day satisfies my need for taste and pleasure. The
other meals are just eating. MRPs are for the other meals.

"bam" wrote in message
...
OK, SlimFast is a 220 calorie drink that you take twice a day. You get
three
"snacks" and one sensible meal.

But what does the drink in itself do? Is there an appetite suppressant in
it, or is it just nutrition?

The reason I ask, is because I think I could have more fun if I could pick
my own 440 calories - at least sometimes. I can usually skip breakfast -
that gives me 440 for lunch...

Where am I going wrong?

Thanks

Bryan



Slim-Fast Optima label says 190 calories per shake and it is loaded with
nutrition without containing much salt. Slim-fast appeals to me because it
helps to keep the sodium in my diet very low. A serving made with 8 oz. of
Fat Free Milk contains 230 mg of sodium, about 10 percent of Daily Value.
My BP is on the high side, and I limit sodium to help control water
retention. And I actually like the stuff too! As has been suggested, some
of us just like limiting choices to help us maintain control over what we
eat.

I don't use the bars, the snacks, or the canned liquid Slim-Fast. Using
all that stuff on a regular basis for very long can get expensive. Also, I
find the bars too tempting, too much like candy or cookies for me to keep
around. For those who have good control, they may be okay. A person has to
work at figuring out what works for them and then stick with it.

Slim-Fast may not be for everyone, especially on a daily basis for long
periods of time. However, IMO, it is an excellent product that can be very
helpful to people who are trying to limit their calorie intake. In the
summer I like to freeze servings of Slim-Fast and eat like ice cream rather
than drinking as a shake.

bam wrote in message
...
OK, SlimFast is a 220 calorie drink that you take twice a day. You
get three
"snacks" and one sensible meal.

But what does the drink in itself do? Is there an appetite
suppressant in
it, or is it just nutrition?

The reason I ask, is because I think I could have more fun if I
could pick
my own 440 calories - at least sometimes. I can usually skip
breakfast -
that gives me 440 for lunch...

Where am I going wrong?

Sounds sensible to me. My dad has tried SlimFast for weight loss in
the past and still uses it occasionally. Since it is relatively high
in sugar, I imagine for some people SlimFast could be an appetite
stimulant.

Some people find--and a few studies have confirmed--that people who
skip breakfast tend to eat more throughout the day than those who do
have breakfast. And there is also data to suggest that eating smaller,
more frequent meals aids many people in weight loss.

If MRPs work well for you I would suggest one that is higher in
protein and lower than sugar than the original SlimFast. I believe
SlimFast makes a new product that meets these criteria. There are also
other options for a low-cal, quick breakfast. Being a bit rushed this
morning I had a cup of low-fat cottage cheese mixed with a cup of
sliced stawberries. That combination is close to 220 calories. And I
know from past experience this will stay with me longer than low-fat
chocolate milk and a multivitamin, which is essentially what SlimFast
is.

In an hour or two, I will have a couple servings of celery sticks with
2 tablespoons of peanut butter. That also is under 220 calories and
will hold me until lunch.

Matthew
185/175/160

On Wed, 11 May 2005 06:28:13 -0400, bam wrote:

OK, SlimFast is a 220 calorie drink that you take twice a day. You get three
"snacks" and one sensible meal.

their plan is a bit different than that...


But what does the drink in itself do? Is there an appetite suppressant in
it, or is it just nutrition?

Nope, no appetite suppressents in there. Its packed with vitamins and
minerals and depending on which variety you buy, its possible to have high
sugar/low protein or low sugar/higher protein, or a moderate amount of
each.



The reason I ask, is because I think I could have more fun if I could pick
my own 440 calories - at least sometimes. I can usually skip breakfast -
that gives me 440 for lunch...

Exactimundo! Well, not really. Its not good to skip breakfast. You
should eat a little something. I try to keep my breakfast meal between 150
and 300 cals.

Anyhow - the *advantage* to following slimfast is the lack of thought one
has to put into the plan. If you know you can lose by drinking 2 shakes, 2
frozen meals and 2 snacks per day, then you pack your food for the day and
you are all set. No thought, just "grab and go." convienence.

Wherease if you know that you have 1200 cals per day, you have to weight
and measure your food and set it asside. It takes planning and calculation
and tracking.


Now, that being said - I do occasionally use slim fast products. They have
a Splenda/sugar free variety that has a good deal of protein in the shake.
(Optima or Low Carb, can't recall which). ANyhow - one can added to 1/3
cup fiber one cereal and I have a good breakfast that fills me up for hours
for less than 300 calories. And its also given me some vitamins and
minerals and since I hate taking pills, I never remember to take vitamins,
so that's another added benefit. And, where I could just make a protein
shake and get the same results - the slimfast is premade, so its got the
convienence factor as well.

LFM wrote:
On Wed, 11 May 2005 06:28:13 -0400, bam wrote:

OK, SlimFast is a 220 calorie drink that you take twice a day. You
get three
"snacks" and one sensible meal.

their plan is a bit different than that...


But what does the drink in itself do? Is there an appetite
suppressant in
it, or is it just nutrition?

Nope, no appetite suppressents in there. Its packed with vitamins
and
minerals and depending on which variety you buy, its possible to have
high
sugar/low protein or low sugar/higher protein, or a moderate amount
of
each.



The reason I ask, is because I think I could have more fun if I
could pick
my own 440 calories - at least sometimes. I can usually skip
breakfast -
that gives me 440 for lunch...

Exactimundo! Well, not really. Its not good to skip breakfast.
You
should eat a little something. I try to keep my breakfast meal
between 150
and 300 cals.

Anyhow - the *advantage* to following slimfast is the lack of thought
one
has to put into the plan. If you know you can lose by drinking 2
shakes, 2
frozen meals and 2 snacks per day, then you pack your food for the
day and
you are all set. No thought, just "grab and go." convienence.

Wherease if you know that you have 1200 cals per day, you have to
weight
and measure your food and set it asside. It takes planning and
calculation
and tracking.


Now, that being said - I do occasionally use slim fast products.
They have
a Splenda/sugar free variety that has a good deal of protein in the
shake.
(Optima or Low Carb, can't recall which). ANyhow - one can added to
1/3
cup fiber one cereal and I have a good breakfast that fills me up for
hours
for less than 300 calories. And its also given me some vitamins and
minerals and since I hate taking pills, I never remember to take
vitamins,
so that's another added benefit. And, where I could just make a
protein
shake and get the same results - the slimfast is premade, so its got
the
convienence factor as well.

I don't recommend SlimFast. It has almost as much sugar as a soft
drink, and nobody needs that much sugar.